Global Mermaids
by MissKatnissSwift
Summary: After returning from the university, Lewis invites Cleo on his trip around the world. The couple will visit all the greatest places on Earth, and meet up with an old friend. But what's really big is that Lewis is just waiting for a right time to ask Cleo the "big question". Will he succeed or blow it?
1. The Invitatioin

"Lewis," said Cleo. "You wanted to see me?"

It was two a.m. in the morning. The sun was still hiding from the sky. Cleo Sertori stood next to her boyfriend, Lewis McCartney.

"Yes, I did." he responded. Cleo let out a large yawn.

"Why two a.m.? Why not wait until ten?"

"Because I won't have a chance at ten."

"Okay, Lewis. What did you want to see me about?"

"Cleo, well, as you know, I returned from college, and what I didn't say was that the degree also came with a trip around the world."

"And? You're leaving?" Cleo began to blink back tears.

"Well, I am. But I have a question for you."

"Well, out with it."

"Cleo Jane Elizabeth Sertori, will you join me on this trip around the globe?"

Cleo blinked with surprise. Her? Going around the world? With Lewis?

"Well…how long will we be gone?"

"6 or 7 months."

"I don't know. Dad's pretty freaky when it comes to going away for a long time."

"Please? I don't want to leave you again."

Cleo was silent. She waited for herself to think of something to say.

Don's head would explode. Kim would beg her for her room. Sam would make Cleo pack everything from books to hair ties.

Finally, Cleo gave him her best smile and gave him a simple "Okay."

* * *

"What? Around the world? For seven months?" Don had stood up from his char in the living room.

"Or six." Cleo tried to work out her speech to tell Don about the trip.

"No way, Cleo. We can't just drop everything and let you go around the globe with some boy."

"It's not some boy! It's Lewis!"

"Well, I don't want any inappropriate romance."

By 'inappropriate romance', he meant by the sex that was always on soap operas. Don didn't like saying that word.

"Honestly, Dad. You really think Lewis and I will do that?" Cleo said, rolling her eyes.

"Cleo, I have told you a million times that I do not allow eye rolling in this house."

"Yeah, Cleo." Kim chimed in. She crossed her arms and smirked at Cleo.

"Kim, stay out of this." Don scolded. Kim backed up a bit.

"Please, Dad?" begged Cleo.

"No." Don said firmly. "I'm not paying for any flights."

"It doesn't cost any money. Lewis's college pays for it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"A hundred percent?"

"Yes, Dad!"

Don thought a minute. Then he sighed.

"Okay, Cleo. But if any plane rides have a price, it's coming off of your debit card."

Sam quickly set her tea cup on the counter. She rushed over to Cleo.

"Oh, there's so much packing to do! We need to make lists, organize your suitcase, get your tickets-" Sam was always a freak at packing.

"Thanks, Sam, but I can pack on my own." insisted Cleo. Without listening for an answer, Cleo rushed upstairs and pulled her suitcase out from under her bed.

She took her phone off of the nightstand and texted Lewis.

_Dad said yes. when's flight?_

Cleo pressed 'send', and then started yanking shirts out of her drawer. Her phone buzzed. A response from Lewis.

She read the reply.

_Tomorrow 8 am_

She dialed the letters so fast she could have broken the keypad.

_K will c u then. Luv u_

_Luv u 2_

Cleo had already pulled jeans, shorts, tank tops, swimsuits, and shirts out of her dresser. T-shirts lay on the floor. Cleo was careful to pick them up and fold them, just as Sam had taught them.

Just then, Kim entered her room.

"When you're gone, can I have your room?" she asked.

"No." Cleo responded. She had expected it to happen.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No, no, no times infinity!"

After what seemed like forever, Kim finally gave up and went back into her own room.

Cleo went into the bathroom and put her toothbrush, toothpaste, and mint floss in a small plastic bag.

Don entered the sea-themed bedroom.

"Cleo, Kim says that you're making fun of her." he said.

Cleo came out of the bathroom.

"No, I'm not! She kept begging me for my room and I kept saying no. That's all!" Cleo was used to Kim's lies.

Don faced Kim. The look on his face told Kim to go to her room and 'think about what she did'.

Cleo's father turned and faced his eldest daughter.

"Cleo, will you need passports?" he asked.

"Nah. I have mine from the trip to New Zealand."

"Okay."

Don walked out of her room.

After packing some more, Cleo realized something: she still had to keep her secret.

If they went to the beach, she'd have to be the scaredy-cat afraid to go in the water.

If it was raining on the day of the flight, Cleo would have to wear everything rubber from a hat to boots.

But she pushed that thought away and continued to place her stuff in her suitcase.

* * *

In the morning, Cleo rolled her suitcase around at the airport. She waited at a bench near the metal detector for Lewis.

She took a look at her watch.

6:13 a.m.

They had about two hours until the plane took off.

At last, Lewis walked towards Cleo.

Even though she saw him twenty-four hours ago, she leapt into his arms and suffocated him with a hug.

"Your dad say yes?" Lewis said, prying himself from Cleo's arms.

"Yep. Same traveling routine as always: Sam being a packing freak, Kim wanting my room so bad, and my dad refusing to pay for flights."

The duo chuckled.

"Did you tell the others about it?" Lewis asked.

The smile faded from Cleo's face. She had forgotten to inform the others about her leaving.

"No." she replied quietly.

"Are you going to?"

"I don't think it'd be nice, since it's the last minute and all."

"Well, it's better than not telling them at all."

Cleo slowly nodded in agreement.

If she didn't tell them about Cleo leaving to travel around the world, they would be furious and never trust her again.

If she told them at the last minute, they would be angry about her not telling them sooner.

After debating with herself, Cleo pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Rikki's number.

She swallowed, and waited for Rikki to answer.

_"Hello?" _said Rikki on the other line.

"Hey, Rik. It's Cleo." Nervous as she was, Cleo tried to stay calm.

_"What's up?" _

"Rikki, I, um…I'm leaving"

_"What?"_

"Lewis's degree came with a trip around the world, and he asked me if I wanted to go with him."

_"So you're leaving?"_

"It's what I said."

_"Oh." _Rikki didn't say anything for a moment.

"If you're mad, you have a right to be." Cleo sighed.

_"I'm not mad. I just think this is a bit sudden"_

"I know. The plane takes off in two hours and I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

_"Cleo, I'm not mad. If you want to go with Lewis, I'm okay with it."_

"Really?"

_"Yeah. You deserve to be happy. You haven't seen him in a year." _

"Thanks, Rikki. You may be tough, but you are a softie, you know that?"

_"Better not tell anyone, or there's gonna be a sudden disappearance happen to you."_

Cleo chuckled.

"Thanks again, Rikki. Could you spread the news to Bella?"

_"Sure. I'll explain that you wanted to be with Lewis"_

"Thanks. Well, I guess this is it."

_"For now." _

"Yeah. Bye, Rikki."

_"Bye."_

Rikki hung up, and then Cleo did the same.

"So they're ok with it?" Lewis asked.

"Yep. Rikki didn't mind."

"Really? Are you sure you had the right Rikki?"

Cleo laughed. "Of course I had the right one."

"Well, we'd better get to our gate."

"I'm excited. You?"

Lewis smiled.

"Yeah."


	2. The Plane Ride

Cleo waited patiently in her airplane seat. She waited for the plane to take off. Lewis sat next to her, reading a sports magazine he brought in his backpack. She swallowed, once more thinking of keeping her secret. But Cleo cleared the fear out of her head. She sighed, and pulled her MP3 player out of her purse. She plugged the earphones into the small hole at the top of the device. Cleo carefully placed the two buds into both her ears. She pressed the play button, and her favorite music played. She could only imagine the destinations: Paris, London, Hong Kong, Mexico-

"_Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Pilot Baker. Our destination is going to be Hong Kong, China. Please fasten your seat belts. At this time, electronic use is not permitted during takeoff. The flight will be estimated 4 hours and 6 minutes. Repeat, please fasten your seat belts as we prepare for takeoff." _

The airplane pilot's voice told Cleo to put away her MP3 player. She took the earbuds out of her ears and put them with her music device into her purse.

"You ready?" Lewis asked, holding Cleo's hand. Cleo nodded, smiling. She heard her phone buzz. Cleo didn't think it would hurt to see who texted her. She took out her phone.

It was a text from Rikki.

"U gone yet?" it read.

Cleo replied, "About 2 take off"

"Call me when u land" Rikki texted.

"OK" That was the last text Cleo got from Rikki.

She put away her phone. Cleo could feel the plane moving across the road. She swallowed. She would be leaving behind her friends, her family, Mako Island…

Lewis always knew what she was thinking. "It'll be okay." he assured her. Cleo smiled, not showing her teeth. She nodded small. She tried to act as happy as she always was, but on the inside, she felt like slouching across the seat. But she pushed the unhappy thoughts and gazed out the window. The vibration under her shoes made her feel relaxed, like it was meant to be a massage. She closed her eyes and imagined the journey; Cleo had always dreamt of going to Paris. According to Lewis, that would be their third destination. Kim would be so jealous! She, too, had always wanted to get out of school and travel around the globe.

A rush of excitement rushed all over Cleo's body as she felt the plane go faster and faster until it hovered into the air and lifted off the ground.

Looking out the window, Cleo couldn't help but smile. She saw the airport building get smaller as they went higher. The cars became nothing but tiny specks below the airplane. The people were no longer visible. She felt peaceful. Happy. Excited…

_"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Pilot Baker again."_ announced the airplane pilot after about five minutes. "At_ this time you are now permitted for technology use. Thank you for your cooperation. And don't forget to put your cell phones on Airplane Mode." _

Cleo took out her MP3 player and started playing her music again. She was listening to tunes while looking out the window. It was wonderful in the sky. She could see everything below her. She felt like a giant.

A flight attendant approached them. "Would you like some drinks?" she asked.

"I'll take a Diet Coke, please." said Lewis. "Cleo?" he turned to his girlfriend. Cleo shook her head. "No, thanks." she responded.

The flight attendant poured out Lewis's soda in a cup. She placed ice cubes into his drink. Then the lady picked up a napkin and handed it and the drink to Lewis.

"Thank you." Lewis said. The lady smiled and walked away.

_"Attention, all. We may experience turbulance at this time. Please fasten your seat belts for your own safety." _the pilot said over the speaker.

Cleo made sure her seat belt was tight enough. So did Lewis. As he sipped his drink, the plane shifted thanks to the wind.

_A splash of soda hit Cleo's lap. _

Cleo's eyes widened. This was _not _a good time to get wet! Of course Lewis tried to help. He placed his napkin onto the liquid, but it didn't help. Next he placed his drink on the tray, and reached into his backpack. He yanked out a large blanket and covered all of Cleo's body except for her head.

The duo breathed a sigh of relief. Cleo's tail and top formed. Her fluke was stuck under the seat in front of her, but she didn't mind. Lewis made sure that all of her tail and top was covered.

"I'm so sorry, Cleo." Lewis apologized.

"It's not your fault." Cleo said, shaking her head. She leaned in and clasped Lewis's lips into a kiss.

The two of them smiled. Lewis took out his sports magazine and started reading. Cleo, for a second, put her head under the blanket to put her earphones back into her ears. Her tail was still wet, but at least no one saw her.

Cleo went back to listening to music, trying to act natural with a blanket covering most of her body. She tried to act like nothing had happened, and it was just a little accident.

Within about five minutes, the soda had dried up, and Cleo's tail vanished, with her legs coming back. Her top turned back into her shirt. Relieved, she handed the blanket back to Lewis, who put it back into his backpack.

"How long has it been since we took off?" asked Cleo.

Lewis looked at his watch. "Only about 10 minutes." he responded. Cleo sighed. There was a long way to go.

She took out her iPhone and set it onto Airplane Mode. After that she texted Bella.

_hey bella _Typed Cleo. She pressed the "Send" button. A minute later Bella responded.

_whats up Cleo _replied Bella.

_i'm on the plane_

_how long will flight b_

_4 hrs 6 min_

_wow_

_IKR_

_gotta go. band rehearsal_

_bye_

_bye_

She put away her phone. Cleo took out her neck pillow, and placed it around her neck. She closed her eyes, daydreaming about what the world would be like. She soon drifted off to sleep…

* * *

_Cleo opened her eyes to the whispering of someone saying her name. _

_Cleo…_

_She looked around. _

_Cleo…_

_She was in a white room. _

_Cleo…_

_"What?" she finally responded. _

_There was a beautiful girl in front of her. Her hair was light brown, she had two beautiful green eyes, and she was wearing a long blue dress that touched the floor. _

_"Who are you?" asked Cleo. "How do you know my name?" _

_"My name is not important." replied the girl. "I know because I am in your mind." _

_"How?" Cleo questioned the young girl, getting even more confused. _

_The girl giggled. "I am a ghost, of course!" she said, like it was an everyday thing. _

_"Um, tell me why you're in your in my mind?" said Cleo, raising her eyebrows and shaking her head. _

_"I'm here in your dream," the girl explained. "to tell you to love him." _

_"What?" _

_"Love him. He loves you. I know you are feeling guilty about leaving your friends behind." _

_Cleo didn't say anything. _

_"Yes, I know, you want to see your best friends again," said the girl. "but if you don't come with him, you will never see the love of your life ever again." _

_Cleo nodded, suddenly finding herself blinking back tears. _

_"But tell me your name." begged Cleo. _

_The girl paused. "Okay. My name is Ebony Frankweiler." she said. _

_"How come you're telling me this?" asked Cleo. _

_"Because I tell everyone to be in love with someone. I never was able to love anyone, when I was alive. I married someone I didn't care for. I didn't realize it until one day, he was the reason I stopped living." Ebony sighed. _

_"He…killed you?" wondered Cleo out loud. _

_Ebony nodded. _

_"I'm so sorry." comforted Cleo._

_"What's important is that you are alive and in love. Love is the most powerful thing of all. Remember that forever." And with that, Ebony vanished. _

* * *

Cleo woke up. No longer was she in the white room. She was back in her airplane seat.

"How long was I asleep?" Cleo asked Lewis.

Lewis looked at his watch.

"Only about a half an hour." he replied.

Cleo sighed. She decided to watch a movie on her phone.

She knew the plane ride would be long, and only about an hour had passed.

But she kept thinking over and over what Ebony had said in her dream.

_Love is the most powerful thing of all. Remember that forever. _

* * *

**Thanks for reading this chapter! **

**And thank you all so much for the support. I didn't think I'd get many hits from this story, but you guys proved me wrong! **

**Review! **

**:)**


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